Mattioli backs Roma to overcome Champions League fatigue, calls for Castro to play soon

Walter Sabatini, the legendary former Roma sporting director, has returned to football as a consultant at Pro Patria, the club where he finished his playing career 43 years ago. In an interview with Corriere della Sera, the 71-year-old reflected on his decision to re-enter the game and his enduring connection to Roma, where he recruited champions including Nainggolan, Dzeko, Pastore, Ilicic and Kolarov. Asked where he left his heart, Sabatini answered without hesitation: "Roma. It is my life, do not make me say anything else because I have developed a complex about being a boring man." On the prospect of working under Roma's current coach Gian Piero Gasperini, however, he was candid: "No. I have great admiration for his work as a coach but I would have come into collision course." Despite his age and health challenges, Sabatini said he feels the enthusiasm of his early days in the game. "Inside I feel the excitement of when I started working for Triestina and I was 39 years old," he said. "I would like to return to that phase of my life and create my own football laboratory." He acknowledged struggling at Pro Patria, where his dynamic ideas are not accommodated: "I need agility and speed. I am not hiding that I am finding myself uncomfortable and I do not want to waste my last years. I have entered the third, perhaps the fourth age." On evaluating talent, Sabatini insisted on trusting his eye rather than data analytics. "When I see a player I must feel something immediately at the first meeting. He must strike me like lightning. The only metric of evaluation I conceive is the eye, sensitivity, passion." Asked which player now moves him, he singled out Paulo Dybala: "A residual champion of our championship. In the Nineties we had Ronaldo, Platini, Rummenigge. Now of that lineage of phenomena, there is only Paulo in Serie A." He praised Como's Champions League debut display, saying the team displayed "a high level match proposing entertaining football and exalting its individuals." On the balance of power in Serie A, Sabatini noted that while "there is great euphoria in the Roma environment. A spiritual cohesion that makes everyone feel unbeatable," Inter stood above all others: "For the quality of the squad and depth of choices, Inter is a step above everyone." Sabatini expressed regret about his brief spell at Inter, saying he had been "a meteor—the inhabitants of the Earth did not even see me pass." He attributed the Nerazzurri's current strength to Chivu's pragmatism. Of himself, he reflected: "I am bulimic of life. A pity that my skeletal system does not assist my will. Every now and then I think back to my career and say to myself 'but you were an acrobat, not a sporting director'."

Roma face Torino today with the chance to build momentum ahead of their Champions League fixture against Inter, according to analysis from several Italian radio commentators. Simone Valdarchi told Radio Manà Manà that Torino can create difficulties for Roma, and warned that the team must maintain focus rather than rebuild after the recent draw against Fenerbahçe. He stressed that today's match carries significant weight: "Roma-Inter will take on a different importance if you arrive at full points after four matches. The Torino match is a fundamental challenge if you want to enter the Champions League." Calendar distractions aside, Valdarchi believes players must concentrate solely on the Torino fixture. Gabriele Conflitti echoed the view that today represents an awkward assignment. "Dybala must not be treated as a display piece—he should play," Conflitti said on Radio Manà Manà. "Today is a tricky match. Torino have put us in difficulty many times down there. Abate coaches them well, especially physically." Piero Torri added: "I hope Castro scores, but the important thing is that you win against Torino today. Because if you take the victory home you go against Inter at full points: that's important." The commentators underlined that a win in Turin would leave Roma positioned ideally for the Inter encounter.

Antonio Comi, a figure in Torino–Roma history, has given his backing to Roma's title credentials in an interview ahead of the fixture between the two clubs. Speaking about Gian Piero Gasperini's work at Roma, Comi said: "We are talking about a great tactician, who cares for every detail in an almost obsessive way; this year he has started even better than last year and the squad has a consolidated identity, the players feel like a granite group." Comi played for both Torino and Roma during his career, moving between the clubs and representing Roma in multiple defensive roles under the management of Luigi Radice. He described the emotional connection fans of both clubs have to their teams: "I was fortunate to play for two squads whose supporters do not just stand beside the team, but make you feel at home immediately: the passion that surrounds Torino and Roma you do not find everywhere, which is why even when you leave you carry it inside you." On Inter's dominance and the title race, Comi offered: "They have a squad that is the most complete, but Roma can challenge them and must aim for head-to-head clashes; in the fight Como can enter right now and, in the longer term, I also think Juventus." When asked to make a prediction between Roma and Torino, he replied: "On paper I would say Roma, but let's see how much the tiredness will weigh after Istanbul." Comi also reflected on his time at Roma under President Viola, describing him as "the last of the romantics, someone who even controlled the grass of the last training pitch at Trigoria, to verify whether the gardeners' work had been meticulous." He expressed particular regret about the 1991 UEFA Cup Final against Inter, saying: "We played on equal terms with Inter in both legs and on the return very little was missing to at least go to extra time." When asked which club he would support, Comi concluded: "I'll put it this way: Torino is the wife, Roma is the lover."

Roma face Torino today with the chance to build momentum ahead of their Champions League fixture against Inter, according to analysis from several Italian radio commentators. Simone Valdarchi told Radio Manà Manà that Torino can create difficulties for Roma, and warned that the team must maintain focus rather than rebuild after the recent draw against Fenerbahçe. He stressed that today's match carries significant weight: "Roma-Inter will take on a different importance if you arrive at full points after four matches. The Torino match is a fundamental challenge if you want to enter the Champions League." Calendar distractions aside, Valdarchi believes players must concentrate solely on the Torino fixture. Gabriele Conflitti echoed the view that today represents an awkward assignment. "Dybala must not be treated as a display piece—he should play," Conflitti said on Radio Manà Manà. "Today is a tricky match. Torino have put us in difficulty many times down there. Abate coaches them well, especially physically." Piero Torri added: "I hope Castro scores, but the important thing is that you win against Torino today. Because if you take the victory home you go against Inter at full points: that's important." The commentators underlined that a win in Turin would leave Roma positioned ideally for the Inter encounter.

Roma travel to Turin today at 18:30 with a chance to extend their perfect start and claim a fourth consecutive Serie A win, holding top spot before the upcoming clash with Inter. Gasperini has made clear there will be no rotation or pre-planned rest periods, insisting that players who are fit will play. "One rests when they are tired. If someone is well, what do I do, put him to sleep?" the coach said, speaking chiefly about Paulo Dybala. The Argentine has started all four matches this season, completing the last two in full, and continues to serve as Roma's key playmaker with four assists already recorded in the opening three matches — though he remains without a league goal since a trip to Torino in January of last year. Dybala is expected to play from the start again, likely operating behind Donyell Malen. The Dutch forward made his Roma debut at the same Turin stadium and scored immediately, beginning a run that has established him as one of the squad's most effective attacking outlets. Gasperini's philosophy resists strict hierarchies; he has stated he has 20 players available and sees no problem fielding one or another depending on need. Matías Soulé and Rodrigo Mora are competing for space in midfield, with Santiago Castro available as an important option from the bench. The coach intends to use all five substitutions to manage energy without sacrificing quality in the starting eleven. The midfield has strengthened: Manu Koné has recovered from a knee issue sustained in Istanbul and is fit for selection, though he is managing ongoing inflammation that requires careful management. A contest with Niccolò Pisilli remains open, but Koné's return is a significant boost for the side's physicality and ability to break lines. More importantly, Lorenzo Pellegrini has returned to the squad for the first time this season after over five months out. He is not yet ready for full involvement and will be reintegrated gradually, but his availability is a milestone: Gasperini now has access to virtually his entire group. The coach has underlined his refusal to split the squad into fixed categories of starters and reserves, emphasizing that Champions League football demands everyone feels part of the project and ready to contribute when called upon. Roma arrive on a strong run: including the end of last season, they have won eight consecutive Serie A matches. Gasperini, however, resists letting that feed into complacency, keeping his focus on maintaining aggression, intensity and mental hunger. The objective remains the same: take the three points from Turin, keep hold of the table's summit, and face Inter fresh and on form.

Gian Piero Gasperini has ruled out resting Paulo Dybala ahead of Roma's away fixture against Torino, insisting that the Argentine forward will play if fit. The head coach rejected the idea of rotating his key players despite the midweek demands of Champions League football, saying: "If he's well you put him to sleep? You can't predict injuries, we don't have a crystal ball. If someone is well they play and Paulo is well. All matches are difficult, playing Torino isn't any easier than playing other teams." Donyell Malen has become central to Roma's attacking output, reaching 19 goals in 21 matches since January and chasing the record of Totti and Manfredini, who scored 6 goals in the first 4 matchdays. Gasperini defended his use of Malen against speculation about rotation with Santiago Castro, explaining: "When I signed Malen I knew he would be important but we're going beyond the numbers with him. Castro in his place? Then he becomes a starter and Malen a sub? Everyone is doing well and then you'll see the minutes increase. Castro has come in every time, and today we're also getting Pellegrini back who will be in the squad." Manu Koné's availability remains uncertain after suffering a blow in Istanbul, with Niccolò Pisilli standing ready to start in midfield. Emanuele Lulli is expected to return at right-back after recovering from flu, while in defence Balerdi or Ghilardi may press Gianluca Mancini's claim. Gasperini firmly addressed suggestions of a squad hierarchy: "I'm asking you to stop talking about hierarchies, it's not right towards the players giving everything. There are no failures on anyone. Otherwise we get into a mechanism of controversy that only damages the team. In Torino too, 16 players will play as starters, not eleven." The coach also defended Marten de Roon following criticism from Atalanta supporters: "Leaving Atalanta wasn't his choice. What was he supposed to become? An old shoe locked in a cupboard?"

Roma face Torino in Serie A on 14 September at 18:30, four days after their Champions League return, with head coach Gian Piero Gasperini managing squad rotation following the trip to Istanbul. The starting XI appears largely settled, though midfield and the right flank remain open questions. Svilar will start in goal, with the familiar trio of Mancini, Ndicka and Hermoso in defence; Ghilardi is the alternative. Wesley is expected to hold the left-back spot, while the right side is contested between Lulli and Rensch, with Lulli marginally favoured, though Gasperini indicated in his press conference that his condition would need to be assessed before the match. The main shift could come in midfield. Manu Koné picked up a knee problem against Fenerbahçe, opening the door for Nicolò Pisilli to partner Bryan Cristante; Koné has attempted recovery and remains an option. Dybala and Donyell Malen are set pieces in attack, with Matías Soulé the likely choice to complete the forward line, while Rodrigo Mora stands ready either from the start or as an in-match solution. The probable Roma formation is 3-4-2-1: Svilar; Mancini, Ndicka, Hermoso; Lulli, Cristante, Pisilli, Wesley; Soulé, Dybala; Malen.

Roma travel to Turin on 14 September with their full squad available and Lorenzo Pellegrini in the matchday group for the first time this season after a lengthy absence. The squad selection remains fluid ahead of the fixture: the defence is expected to feature Gianluca Mancini, Evan N'Dicka and Mario Hermoso, but uncertainty persists across the flanks, midfield and attack. Emanuele Lulli, Devyne Rensch and Nahuel Molina are competing for a starting place on the right, while Niccolò Pisilli and Manu Koné are in contention alongside Bryan Cristante in the middle. Up front, Matías Soulé and Rodrigo Mora are head-to-head for selection, though Paulo Dybala and Donyell Malen are guaranteed starting positions. Roma carry an open run of eight consecutive Serie A victories into the match—five secured in the closing stages of last season and three in the opening rounds of the current campaign. Gian Piero Gasperini's side will pursue a ninth straight win to reclaim the league lead. The head coach faces a contrasting duel with opposing manager Ignazio Abate: Gasperini has 640 Serie A matches on his bench, placing him fifth in the all-time standings and closing in on Nils Liedholm's tally of 644. Abate, by contrast, is appearing in only his fourth Serie A match in charge. Roma Primavera, meanwhile, play at home today: at 15:00 they face Como at the Agostino Di Bartolomei ground in Trigoria, with coverage on Sportitalia. The youth side aim to remain unbeaten in the fourth matchday following a comeback victory in the Youth League against Fenerbahce. A starting confirmation is expected for Paratici with Morucci in attack, while Cama is highlighted among young players to watch closely.

Walter Sabatini, the legendary former Roma sporting director, has returned to football as a consultant at Pro Patria, the club where he finished his playing career 43 years ago. In an interview with Corriere della Sera, the 71-year-old reflected on his decision to re-enter the game and his enduring connection to Roma, where he recruited champions including Nainggolan, Dzeko, Pastore, Ilicic and Kolarov. Asked where he left his heart, Sabatini answered without hesitation: "Roma. It is my life, do not make me say anything else because I have developed a complex about being a boring man." On the prospect of working under Roma's current coach Gian Piero Gasperini, however, he was candid: "No. I have great admiration for his work as a coach but I would have come into collision course." Despite his age and health challenges, Sabatini said he feels the enthusiasm of his early days in the game. "Inside I feel the excitement of when I started working for Triestina and I was 39 years old," he said. "I would like to return to that phase of my life and create my own football laboratory." He acknowledged struggling at Pro Patria, where his dynamic ideas are not accommodated: "I need agility and speed. I am not hiding that I am finding myself uncomfortable and I do not want to waste my last years. I have entered the third, perhaps the fourth age." On evaluating talent, Sabatini insisted on trusting his eye rather than data analytics. "When I see a player I must feel something immediately at the first meeting. He must strike me like lightning. The only metric of evaluation I conceive is the eye, sensitivity, passion." Asked which player now moves him, he singled out Paulo Dybala: "A residual champion of our championship. In the Nineties we had Ronaldo, Platini, Rummenigge. Now of that lineage of phenomena, there is only Paulo in Serie A." He praised Como's Champions League debut display, saying the team displayed "a high level match proposing entertaining football and exalting its individuals." On the balance of power in Serie A, Sabatini noted that while "there is great euphoria in the Roma environment. A spiritual cohesion that makes everyone feel unbeatable," Inter stood above all others: "For the quality of the squad and depth of choices, Inter is a step above everyone." Sabatini expressed regret about his brief spell at Inter, saying he had been "a meteor—the inhabitants of the Earth did not even see me pass." He attributed the Nerazzurri's current strength to Chivu's pragmatism. Of himself, he reflected: "I am bulimic of life. A pity that my skeletal system does not assist my will. Every now and then I think back to my career and say to myself 'but you were an acrobat, not a sporting director'."

Roma face Torino in Serie A on 14 September at 18:30, four days after their Champions League return, with head coach Gian Piero Gasperini managing squad rotation following the trip to Istanbul. The starting XI appears largely settled, though midfield and the right flank remain open questions. Svilar will start in goal, with the familiar trio of Mancini, Ndicka and Hermoso in defence; Ghilardi is the alternative. Wesley is expected to hold the left-back spot, while the right side is contested between Lulli and Rensch, with Lulli marginally favoured, though Gasperini indicated in his press conference that his condition would need to be assessed before the match. The main shift could come in midfield. Manu Koné picked up a knee problem against Fenerbahçe, opening the door for Nicolò Pisilli to partner Bryan Cristante; Koné has attempted recovery and remains an option. Dybala and Donyell Malen are set pieces in attack, with Matías Soulé the likely choice to complete the forward line, while Rodrigo Mora stands ready either from the start or as an in-match solution. The probable Roma formation is 3-4-2-1: Svilar; Mancini, Ndicka, Hermoso; Lulli, Cristante, Pisilli, Wesley; Soulé, Dybala; Malen.

Roma travel to Turin on 14 September with their full squad available and Lorenzo Pellegrini in the matchday group for the first time this season after a lengthy absence. The squad selection remains fluid ahead of the fixture: the defence is expected to feature Gianluca Mancini, Evan N'Dicka and Mario Hermoso, but uncertainty persists across the flanks, midfield and attack. Emanuele Lulli, Devyne Rensch and Nahuel Molina are competing for a starting place on the right, while Niccolò Pisilli and Manu Koné are in contention alongside Bryan Cristante in the middle. Up front, Matías Soulé and Rodrigo Mora are head-to-head for selection, though Paulo Dybala and Donyell Malen are guaranteed starting positions. Roma carry an open run of eight consecutive Serie A victories into the match—five secured in the closing stages of last season and three in the opening rounds of the current campaign. Gian Piero Gasperini's side will pursue a ninth straight win to reclaim the league lead. The head coach faces a contrasting duel with opposing manager Ignazio Abate: Gasperini has 640 Serie A matches on his bench, placing him fifth in the all-time standings and closing in on Nils Liedholm's tally of 644. Abate, by contrast, is appearing in only his fourth Serie A match in charge. Roma Primavera, meanwhile, play at home today: at 15:00 they face Como at the Agostino Di Bartolomei ground in Trigoria, with coverage on Sportitalia. The youth side aim to remain unbeaten in the fourth matchday following a comeback victory in the Youth League against Fenerbahce. A starting confirmation is expected for Paratici with Morucci in attack, while Cama is highlighted among young players to watch closely.

Roma face Torino in the late afternoon on 14 September with a full squad available. Gian Piero Gasperini has recalled Lorenzo Pellegrini to the squad for the first time this season after an extended absence, though the manager will need to handle his reintegration gradually. All media outlets agree on the back three protecting Svilar: Mancini, N'Dicka and Hermoso remain unchanged. The key debate centres on the right-back position. Lulli is favoured by three of the five newspapers surveyed—Corriere della Sera, Il Tempo and Il Messaggero—all of which lineup him alongside Cristante, Pisilli, Wesley in midfield and Soulé, Dybala, Malen in attack. Corriere dello Sport instead selects Devyne Rensch, while Il Romanista opts for Nahuel Molina, who would line up with Manu Koné in place of Pisilli and Rodrigo Mora ahead of Soulé.